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Some people are nacho purists. I am not one of those people. As far as I’m concerned, as long as there are chips and cheese involved, the world is your oyster. And by oyster, I mean nacho. Pulled pork, braised beef, caramelized onions, pineapple — all of these things belong on a platter of crispy, cheesy tortilla chips if your heart says yes.
As the story goes, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya invented nachos in 1943 at a restaurant in Mexico called the Victory Club. Nacho wasn’t even head chef at the time, just a guy trying to offer a satisfying snack to a group of American soldiers’ wives coming from a nearby army base across the border in Piedras Negras. Tortilla chips, grated Wisconsin cheese, sliced jalapeños: a legend was born. I’m pretty sure Nacho (who opened his own restaurant called El Nacho 17 years later, and believed you could put whatever the hell you wanted on a plate of crispy fried tortilla shards) would approve of where we’ve taken them since.
No matter how you top them, nachos are one of the most inarguably excellent drinking snacks of today — and the ideal thing to order in late-night when you need to soak up the aforementioned drinking. Here, I offer up a dozen of my favorite spots in New York City to indulge in crispy, cheesy goodness from the comfort of your own couch.
Taqueria Diana
This NYC takeout emporium is small in size but large in reputation, especially when it comes to nachos. At all four locations (LES, East Village, Hell’s Kitchen, and Williamsburg) you’ll find the archetype of nacho perfection: a mountain of chips cloaked in Monterey Jack, along with pinto beans, salsa, and their famous pickled carrots and jalapeños. But you’re going to need to add carnitas, my friend, to get the full experience — the succulent mess of hot pulled pork is braised tender and roasted crispy. These nachos will not leave you hungry, I can promise you that, but I’ll just note here that Taqueria Diana’s burritos (particularly the fully-loaded al pastor) are also some of the best in the city.
El Regalo de Juquila
Starting from a classic base of crunchy chips, melted cheese, avocado, sour cream, and jalapeños, this Bushwick standby ups the ante with a dozen different protein possibilities to pile on top: chicken, carnitas, al pastor, chorizo, shrimp, carne enchilada, cecina, huitlacoche, tinga, pumpkin flowers, and steak (my personal favorite). But the best thing about El Regalo de Juquila is undoubtedly that it’s open until 4 a.m., which means you can get your late drunken night nacho fix without potentially setting your apartment on fire. Just be sure to put in your delivery order by 3:40 am; that’s when the last Dasher leaves the station.
Calexico
Appropriately named for a small town on the border between Mexico and California, this mini chain gives the ultimate nacho question — melted cheese or cheese sauce? — the perfect answer: ¿Por qué no los dos? Throw some black beans, roasted corn, guac, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and sour cream on top and you have an extra-cheesy dish for the gods. Get your fix in Greenpoint, Park Slope, Red Hook, or the Upper East Side.
La Flor de Izucar Cafe
This itty-bitty restaurant and bakery, located in the heart of Sunset Park (a.k.a. taco heaven), was founded back in 1990 by Mariano and Silvia Torres, who had recently immigrated from Puebla, México. Today, their three kids — Yasmeen, Javier, and Alfredo — run the show, and dish up six different kinds of excellent nachos. The al pastor is my go-to: crispy tortilla chips, black beans, juicy marinated pork, caramelized onions, fresh pineapple, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Make sure you order some of their traditional Mexican pastries for dessert; the conchas, humongous and light as a cloud, are not to be missed.
Coppelia
You may not think Cuban when you think nachos, but this Cuban diner in Chelsea is here to change your perspective. Their extra-crunchy nachos are quite unique, smothered in a flavorful blend of nutty Gouda and tangy Muenster cheese and covered with a hearty serving of juicy chopped beef short rib. Then come the usual suspects: black beans, jalapeño, crema, guacamole, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. Yum.
The Commodore
This Williamsburg hotspot — now with a brand new location in the East Village — is famous for its fried chicken sandwich, but sleeping on the Cadillac nachos (not to mention the burger) would be a huge mistake. Here, a super creamy queso is the star of the show, drizzled expertly over layers of perfectly crispy chips and showered with jalapeños, pintos, three different excellent salsas, diced tomatoes, onions, and sour cream. They also deliver beer, and you should absolutely take them up on that offering.
Virgil’s
Sometimes, nachos function as a relatively light and simple appetizer — chips, some cheese, some salsa, maybe a bit of guacamole. Other times, they’re the whole dang meal. When you’re seeking the latter, you’re unlikely to find a more filling option than the one offered up at Virgil’s, a classic pan-Southern-style barbecue joint with locations in Times Square and the Upper West Side. Along with cheese and jalapeños, these brave little tortilla chips are smothered in not one, not two, but three types of meat: barbecued pulled chicken, Carolina-style pulled pork, and Texas-style beef brisket. A true carnivore’s delight.
Chela
Proper cheese distribution is a crucial factor when it comes to nachos, and Chela understands this. The cozy Park Slope Mexican eatery offers a seriously seductive plate of nachos, with melted-to-the-point-of-crispy cheese sprinkled over each layer of lightly browned corn chips (and nary a sad naked stray chip left behind!). Black beans, fresh pico de gallo, queso fresco, and sour cream complete the picture, but you can opt for a protein upgrade if you’re hungry; an extra $7 or so will get you shrimp, chicken, mixed veggies, chorizo, or birria.
La Contenta
When it comes to aesthetics, there’s no contest: The nachos at this LES standby (which has a second location in the West Village) win hands-down. Here, crispy golden tortilla chips are arranged like the petals of a flower, and topped with a delightful three-cheese blend. Cheddar and pepper jack do some heavy lifting, but then here comes a rarer bird: soft and stretchy Oaxaca cheese, which provides an excellent chew when contrasted with the crispy chips. Luis Arce Mota, a French-trained chef from Mazatlán, Mexico, finishes his masterpiece with artful swirls of avocado sauce, sour cream, and pico de gallo. And yes, it tastes as good as it looks.
Tacos y Jugos Genesis
Corona, Queens, is New York City’s epicenter of Mexican cuisine, so if you’re lucky enough to live within delivery distance, make sure you’re taking full advantage. Nachos tend to fall more into the Tex-Mex category, but this humble little spot (which also makes excellent tacos and juices, as the name suggests) has you covered. You can pick from a variety of rarer nacho options, including mole poblano nachos with refried beans, and Cancun Nachos with tilapia and shrimp, but my slightly sacrilegious standby is the Hawaiian Nachos with ham, bacon, and pineapple. It’s less crazy if you remember that the flavor profile is not so dissimilar from al pastor.
El Vez
From the people who brought you Le Coucou comes this decidedly chiller Mexican spot, where nachos are treated with both the culinary seriousness they deserve and the big fun party vibes they evoke. Opt for the Nacho Mama plate, which is so serious about proper cheese distribution that it arranges its extra-thick tortilla chips into a pizza-sized single layer, so no chip goes without a generous blanket of melted jack cheese, black beans, salsa ranchera, sour cream, pickled red onion, and jalapeño. And yes, you should absolutely add the birria — El Vez’s chile braised beef is the stuff of legend.
Mesa Coyoacan
Okay, this place doesn’t technically serve nachos but I’m putting it on the list as a bonus because their house-made tortilla chips — fried up hot and fresh every day — are excellent and deserve a shout-out of their own. Get ’em with guacamole or a spread of chef Iván Garcia’s delicious homemade salsas, which include a creamy avocado option and a smoky salsa borracha made from dark Mexican beer. B.Y.O. cheese.
